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{ COUNCIL 
OF NATIONAL 




DEFENSE 




NATIONAL 




RESEARCH 




COUNCIL 




Basis of Organization 




and Means of Co-operation 
with State Councils 




of Defense 




Washington, Mag 1, 1917 



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Council of National Defense 
National Research Council 

Basis of Organization and Means of Co-operation 
with State Councils of Defense 

One of the most striking results of the 
war is its demonstration of the import- 
ance of scientific research in strengthen- 
ing the national defense. Soon after the 
opening of hostilities, England and 
France were faced with industrial and 
military demands soluble only in their 
research laboratories. Looking ahead, 
it was seen that the conclusion of peace 
would be followed by a trade war with 
Germany, in which no industry not per- 
fected by scientific research could be ex- 
pected to survive. As a consequence 
there arose through governmental action 
in England, France, Australia, New Zea- 
land and Canada a group of research 
organizations charged with the mobiliza- 
tion of scientific men and laboratories for 
the study of military and industrial prob- 
lems. The value of their contributions to 
military practice has been recognized by 
the French Minister of War and by Sir 
Douglas Haig in his reports from the 
front. The success of their efforts to re- 
lieve industrial distress resulting from 
the stoppage of exclusively German pro- 



ducts has greatly enhanced the apprecia- 
tion of scientific research by British and 
French manufacturers. Thus the scien- 
tific methods which lie at the basis of 
Germany's military and industrial 
strength have been effectively adopted by 
the Governments and peoples of the En- 
tente. 

In April, 1916, soon after the attack on 
the "Sussex" and our consequent demands 
for the cessation of submarine warfare 
had developed a critical situation with 
Germany, the President requested the 
National Academy of Sciences to organ- 
ize the scientific resources of the United 
States in the interest of national security 
and welfare. The request of the Presi- 
dent called for immediate and vigorous 
action. He expressed the desire that the 
Academy should coordinate the scien- 
tific resources of the entire country and 
secure the cooperation of all agencies, 
governmental, educational, and indus- 
trial, in which research facilities are 
available. 

The National Research Council, com- 
prising the chiefs of the technical bureaus 
of the Army and Navy, the heads of 
Government bureaus engaged in scien- 
tific research, a group of investigators 
representing educational institutions and 
research foundations, and another group 
including representatives of industrial and 
engineering research was accordingly 
constituted with the active cooperation 



of the leading national scientific and en- 
gineering societies. The representatives 
of the Government were appointed by 
the President, who promised his cordial 
support and the cooperation of the Gov- 
ernment departments. Subsequently, 
(February 28, 1917) the Council of Na- 
tional Defense adopted the following 
resolution : 

"Resolved, That the Council of Na- 
tional Defense, recognizing that the Na- 
tional Research Council, at the request of 
the President of the United States, has 
organized the scientific forces of the coun- 
try in the interest of national defense and 
national welfare, requests that the Na- 
tional Research Council cooperate with it 
in matters pertaining to scientific research 
for national defense ; and to this end the 
Council of National Defense suggests that 
the National Research Council appoint a 
committee of not more than three, at least 
one of whom shall be located in Washing- 
ton, for the purpose of maintaining active 
relations with the Director of the Council 
of National Defense. " 

Since that time the National Research 
Council has acted as a department of the 
Council of National Defense, charged 
with the organization of scientific re- 
searches bearing on the national defense 
and on industries affected by the war. 

WORK OF THE RESEARCH COUNCIL 

In times of peace the work of the 
Research Council involves the promo- 

3 



tion of research in every department of 
pure and applied science. At present, 
however, the attention of the Council is 
concentrated on war problems, both mili- 
tary and industrial. Let us see how these 
are attacked. 

The Military Committee consists of the 
Surgeon General of the Army, the Medi- 
cal Director of the Navy, the Chiefs of 
Ordnance of the Army and Navy, the 
Chief Signal Officer of the Army, the 
Ghief Naval Constructor, the Engineer 
in Chief of the Navy, and the Director 
of the Bureau of Mines, the Chief of the 
Weather Bureau, the Director of the 
Geological Survey, Mr. Howard Coffin 
of the Advisory Commission of the 
Council of National Defense, the Direc- 
tor of the Bureau of Standards (Secre- 
tary), and the Secretary of the Smiths- 
onian Institution (Chairman). This 
committee formulates most of the mili- 
tary problems, designating in each case 
an officer in one of the technical bureaus 
of the Army or Navy who is familiar 
with the requirements and with whom 
the investigator engaged in the work may 
keep in touch. Dr. Robert A. Millikan, 
Vice Chairman of the Council charged 
with the correlation of researches bearing 
on the national defense, then organizes 
the investigation by enlisting the ser- 
vices of one or more men especially quali- 
fied by experience and laboratory equip- 
ment. If, as is usually advisable, several 



research men attack the problem simul- 
taneously, Dr. Millikan arranges for any- 
desired cooperation between them. Free- 
dom of initiative is encouraged, and any 
attempt at hampering control or inter- 
ference with the freedom of action re- 
quired for successful research is care- 
fully avoided. 

The above remarks relate more parti- 
cularly to physical research, though Dr. 
Millikan's field of activity embraces a 
much wider range. Associated with him 
in Washington are Dr. Bogert, Chairman 
of the Chemistry Committee, and Dr. 
Vaughan, Chairman of the Committee on 
Medicine and Hygiene. These Chairmen, 
and those of the other committees of the 
Research Council, are constantly engaged 
in organizing researches in their respec- 
tive fields, in cooperation with the Mili- 
tary Committee and with Dr. Millikan. In 
this way, a most helpful and inspiring 
association of our individual investiga- 
tors, our universities, our industries, and 
the various branches of our Federal Gov- 
ernment, is being brought about — a co^ 
operation which is of the utmost value 
to any country and which is vital to it in 
time of war. 

It may be of interest here to give some 
illustrations of the ways in which the 
various committees are contributing to 
the national defense. 

Mathematics (Dr. E. H. Moore, Chair- 
man) and 

5 



Astronomy (Dr. E. C. Pickering, 
Chairman) 

Hydrodynamical investigations bearing 
on ship design and improvement of air- 
craft. Statistical .studies and compu- 
tations required in any field. Optical 
devices for lookouts, to facilitate the de- 
tection of the periscopes of submarines. 

Physics (Dr. R. A. Millikan, Chairman) 

Exhaustive study of devices for de- 
tecting completely submerged submarines 
and mines ; range finders of various 
types ; devices for detecting invisible air- 
craft and sapping parties ; improvements 
in wireless apparatus and other instru- 
ments used with aircraft ; military photo- 
graphy. 

Chemistry (Dr. Marston T. Bogert, 
Chairman) 

Generation, detection and absorption 
of hydrogen, and problems incidental 
thereto; absorption of other gases, par- 
ticularly noxious ones ; fire extinguishers ; 
prevention of corrosion and electrolytic 
action on the hulls of vessels ; non-corro- 
sive metals and alloys for a great variety 
of uses ; balloon fabrics ; fabrics for army 
slickers ; bacteriological and biological 
stains ; synthetic drugs ; special reagents 
for investigators ; new explosives ; new 
sources of important products ; utilization 
of wastes and by-products. 



Botany (Dr. J. M. Coulter, Chairman) 

Organization of a botanical raw pro- 
ducts clearing house, to aid manufac- 
turers needing raw products of a botani- 
cal nature such as gums, oils, resins, 
fibres, w r ood, etc. to find either new geo- 
graphical sources or new specific sources. 

Geography, (Dr. W. M. Davis, Chair- 
man) 
Special maps for military purposes ; 

instructions for the use of topographic 

maps; handbooks on military areas; 

physiographic features of the United 

States. 

Geology (Dr. J. M. Clarke, Chairman) 

Camp sites; finding of water supply; 
materials for road building; topographic 
structure of military areas; supply of 
necessary minerals. 

Medicine and Hygiene (Dr. Victor C. 

Yaughan, Chairman) and 
Physiology (Dr. Walter B. Cannon, 

Chairman) 

Anti-toxins and serums for diphtheria, 
tetanus, pneumonia, dysentery and men- 
ingitis; intradermal method of vaccinat- 
ing for smallpox ; polyvalent vaccines for 
typhoid fever; sterilization of drinking 
water; toxicity of preserved foods; sol- 
diers clothing and blankets; infected 
wounds ; shock ; fatigue ; occupational 
diseases, with special reference to muni- 
7 



tion workers ; protection of the ear from 
high explosives ; instruction of Army and 
Navy surgeons in the Carrel method of 
antiseptic surgery. 

Anthropology (Dr. W. H. Holmes, 
Chairman) and 

Anatomy (Dr. H. H. Donaldson, Chair- 
man) 

Physical and hygienic requirements of 
recruits for the Army and Navy ; langu- 
age requirements; condition of teeth; 
abnormalities ; minimum height and 
weight; standardization of measure- 
ments; data and materials for scientific 
research. 

Psychology (Dr. Robert M. Yerkes, 
Chairman) 

Organization of psychological tests 
for use in recruiting, to eliminate mental 
defectives and nervous types ; selection of 
recruits especially adapted for aviation 
and other difficult tasks ; study and treat- 
ment of returned soldiers, nervously or 
mentally affected; aid in re-education of 
partially incapacitated men; aid in de- 
ciding government liability and award 
of pensions. 

Engineering (Mr. Gano Dunn, Chair- 
man) 

This committee, which will organize 
research in the various branches of en- 
gineering, has just been organized with 
8 



the cooperation of the national engineer- 
ing societies. 

In addition to the above general com- 
mittees, the Research Council, has a 
number of special committees dealing 
with important problems. 

Nitrate Supply (Dr. Arthur A. Noyes, 
Chairman) 

This committee, which was appointed 
at the request of the Secretary of War 
to consider the process to be used by the 
Government in its plant for producing 
nitrates for explosives and fertilizers, has 
submitted a full report. 

Food (Dr. Alonzo Taylor, Chairman) 

This committee is working in co- 
operation with the Department of Agri- 
culture and with Mr. Hoover's Food 
Committee. 

An extensive investigation of the toxi- 
city of preserved foods is also being con- 
ducted by Dr. Rosenau in consultation 
with an advisory committee named by 
the Research Council. 

Optical Glass (Dr. Robert A. Millikan, 
Chairman) 

Through the cooperation of the Bureau 
of Standards and the Geophysical Lab- 
oratory of the Carnegie Institution of 
Washington with glass manufacturers, 
the problem of supplying optical glass 



for military purposes is well advanced 
toward solution. 

Foreign Service Committee (Dr. 
Joseph S. Ames, Chairman) 
The first step in any work of research 
is to learn what has already been ac- 
complished in the same field. Great pro- 
gress has been made abroad since the be- 
ginning of the war by the scientific in- 
vestigators of the Allied countries. A 
committee has accordingly been sent to 
Europe to report from the front on scien- 
tific matters of every kind and to arrange 
for cooperation in the study of questions 
still underlying military and industrial 
problems. This committee includes two 
physicists, two chemists, one metallur- 
gist, and two representatives of medicine 
and hygiene. 

Committees of the Research Council 
not immediately engaged on national de- 
fense questions are those on the Promo- 
tion of Industrial Research (Dr. J. J. 
Carty, Chairman) and on Zoology (Dr. 
Edwin G. Conklin, Chairman). The 
members of the Agriculture Committee 
(Dr. Raymond Pearl, Chairman) are co- 
operating with the Department of Agri- 
culture in the moblization and develop- 
ment of the agricultural resources of the 
country. 

CENSUS OF RESEARCH 

A national census of the research 
facilities of Government bureaus, educa- 
10 



tional institutions, research foundations, 
and industrial research laboratories is 
being taken by the Research Council. The 
forms from educational institutions, 
which are coming in rapidly, contain 
much valuable information bearing on 
the solution of defense problems. Forms 
for other institutions are now being sent 
out. 

The Committee on Research in Edu- 
cational Institutions has recommended 
the formation of Research Committees 
in universities, colleges, schools of tech- 
nology, and other educational institu- 
tions where research is conducted. The 
Research Committees already established 
by a large number of institutions in re- 
sponse to this request serve as local 
organizations which work in cooperation 
with the Research Council. 

COOPERATION WITH STATE COUNCILS OF 
DEFENSE 

The organization of the National Re- 
search Council is based upon the principle 
of broad and effective cooperation be- 
tween the numerous research agencies 
of the United States and those of the 
Allied countries. The Council is in reali- 
ty a federation of research laboratories 
working together toward a common end. 
At present its chief purpose is to assist 
in winning the w T ar, both by the perfec- 
tion of military devices and by the solu- 
tion of industrial problems which the war 
11 



has occasioned. But in the future, as al- 
ready stated, it will devote its attention 
to the promotion of research in all 
branches of pure and applied science. 

The organization of researches bear- 
ing on the national defense frequently 
involves the cooperative effort of many 
investigators residing in different states. 
Sometimes the joint action of an entire 
university laboratory, provided for 
through the assistance of the Research 
Council of the university in question, is 
essential to success. We have several re- 
searches in hand in which entire labora- 
tories are taking part. More commonly, 
however, individual investigators known 
to be especially qualified are enlisted by 
the National Research Council from 
widely scattered institutions. 

Such is the mode of procedure, neces- 
sarily followed in the study of national 
problems. Local questions are constantly 
arising, however, which can be best solved 
through the efforts of local investigators 
familiar with the particular industries 
or resources involved, acting in coopera- 
tion with a national body in touch with 
researches in progress at home and 
abroad. 

We accordingly suggest that the repre- 
sentatives of science and engineering, or 
the Research Committees appointed by 
State Councils of Defense for the pur- 
pose of promoting through scientific in- 
vestigations the industrial and agricul- 

12 



tural development of the several States, 
arrange for close cooperation with the 
National Research Council. In this way 
the research activities of the States may 
be coordinated with one another, and 
with those of the national Government; 
and the information secured by the Na- 
tional Research Council and by the sepa- 
rate State organizations may be rendered 
available for all. 

Communications regarding the Re- 
search Council may be addressed to the 
Chairman at the Munsey Building, 
Washington, D. C. 



List of Officers and Members 

Chairman, George E. Hale 
First vice-chairman, Charles D. Walcott 
Second vice-chairman, Gano Dunn 
Third vice-chairman, Robert A. Millikan 
Secretary, Cary T. Hutchinson 
Assistant Secretary, Tod Ford 

Executive Committee 

J. J. Carty, Chairman Arthur A. Noyes 
Russell H. Chittenden Raymond Pearl 
Edwin G. Conklin Michael I. Pupin 

Gano Dunn S. W. Stratton 

George E. Hale Victor C. Vaughan 

Robert A. Millikan Charles D. Walcott 

William H. Welch 
13 



Members 

Carl L. Alsberg, Chief, Bureau of Chemistry, 
Dept. of Agriculture 

Joseph S. Ames, Professor of Physics, Johns 
Hopkins University 

Leo H. Baekeland, Past President, American 
Electrochemical Society 

Marston T. Bogert, Professor of Organic 
Chemistry, Columbia University 

John A. Brashear, Past President, Amer. Soc. 
of Mechanical Engineers. 

Walter B. Cannon, Professor of Physiology, 
Harvard Medical School 

John J. Carty, Chief Engineer, American Tele- 
phone & Telegraph Co. 

Russell H. Chittenden, Director, Sheffield 
Scientific School, Yale University 

John M. Clarke, Director, State Museum, 
Albany, New York 

Howard E. Coffin, Member Advisory Com- 
mission, Council of National Defense 

Edwin G. Conklin, Professor of Zoology, 
Princeton University 

John M. Coulter, Professor of Botany, -Uni- 
versity of Chicago 

William Crozier, Chief of Ordnance, U. S. A. 

William M. Davis, Professor of Geology, 
Harvard University 

Gano Dunn, President J. G. White Engineering 
Corporation 

Simon Flexner, Director, Rockefeller Medical 
Institute 

James D. Gatewood, Medical Director, Naval 
Medical School 

Hollis Godfrey, President, Drexel Institute, 

Philadelphia 
William C. Gorgas, Surgeon-General, U. S. A. 
14 



W. F. M. Goss, Railway Car Manufacturers 
Association, New York 

Robert S. Griffin, Engineer in Chief, U. S. N. 

George E. Hale, Director, Mt. Wilson Solar 
Observatory 

Clemens Herchel, President, American Society 
of Civil Engineers 

William H. Holmes, Curator, United States 
National Museum 

W. W. Keen, President, American Philosophi- 
cal Society 

Van H. Manning, Director, Bureau of Mines 
Franklin H. Martin, Member Advisory Com- 
mission, Council of National Defense 
Charles F. Marvin, Chief, United States 
Weather Bureau 

Charles E. Mendenhall, Professor of Physics, 
Univerity of Wisconsin 

A. A. Michelson, Director, Ryerson Physical 
Laboratory, University of Chicago 

Robert A. Millikan, Professor of Physics, 
University of Chicago 

Frederick H. Newell, Professor of Civil En- 
gineering, University of Illinois 

Arthur A. Noyes, Director, Research Labora- 
tory of Physical Chemistry, Massachusetts 
Institute of Technology 

Raymond Pearl, Biologist, Main Agricultural 
Experiment Station 

E. C. Pickering, Director, Harvard College 
Observatory 

Michael I. Pupin, Professor of Electro- 
Mechanics, Columbia University 

Charles F. Rand, President, United Engineer- 
ing Society 

Theodore W. Richards, Director, Wolcott 
Gibbs Memorial Laboratory, Harvard Uni- 
versity 

15 



C. E. Skinner, Engineer of Research Division, 

Westinghouse E. & M. Co. 
George Otis Smith, Director, United States 

Geological Survey 
George O. Squier, Chief Signal Officer, U. S. A. 
S. W. Stratton, Director, Bureau of Standards 
Ambrose Swasey, Past President, American 

Society of Mechanical Engineers 
Alonzo E. Taylor, Medical School, University 

of Pennsylvania 
David W. Taylor, Chief Constructor, U. S. N. 
Elihu Thomson, Past President, Amer. Soc. of 

Mechanical Engineers 
C. R. Van Hise, President, Amer. Assoc, for 

Advancement of Science 
Victor C. Vaughan, Director, Medical Research 

Laboratory, University of Michigan 
Charles D. Walcott, Secretary, Smithsonian 

Institution 
William H. Welch, Professor of Pathology, 

Johns Hopkins Medical School 
W. R. Whitney, Director, Research Labora- 
tory, General Electric Co. 
R. W. Wood, Professor of Physics, Johns 

Hopkins University 
Robert M. Yerkes, Professor of Psychology, 

Harvard University 



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